Curious about what’s open and closed over the upcoming Civic Holiday in Ottawa? We have you covered.
Known as Colonel By Day in Ottawa, it’s not a provincial statutory holiday so many retail stores will remain open.
Food and drink
While many grocery stores are closed on Aug. 3, a handful are keeping their doors open:
- The Loblaws on Rideau Street and on Isabella Street in the Glebe are both open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Metro on Bank Street in the Glebe is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Whole Foods at Lansdowne Park is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
All regular LCBO stores are closed but some convenience outlets might still be open.
All Wine Rack stores will be open, dependent on the holiday hours for their host store, if they have one.
The following Beer Stores in the area will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.:
- 1860 Bank St.
- 1984 Baseline Rd.
- 548 Montreal Rd.
- 515 Somerset St. W.
- 2144 Carling Ave.
- 499 Terry Fox Dr. (Kanata)
- 2276 Tenth Line Rd. (Orléans)
- 3500 Fallowfield Rd. (Nepean)
- 575 McNeely Ave. (Carleton Place)
- 330 Colonnade Dr. (Kemptville)
- 75 Lombard St. (Smiths Falls)
Shopping
Many of Ottawa’s malls will be open to the public, including:
- Rideau Centre from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Bayshore Shopping Centre from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Place D’Orleans from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- St. Laurent Shopping Centre from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Some drug stores, like Shoppers and Rexall, are open, but it depends on the location. Contact a specific store to double-check its holiday hours.
Call any independent businesses for their store hours.
Get daily National news
Pools and beaches
Ottawa will have lifeguards on duty from noon to 7 p.m. at Petrie Island, Mooney’s Bay and Westboro Beach. Britannia Beach is closed for the summer due to riverbed restoration work.
You can check here for swimming advisories at each of the beaches.
A number of indoor and wading pools in Ottawa will be open, but swimming hours at indoor pools must be reserved in advance and wading pools carry 30-minute time limits.
Splash pads that have already come online under Ottawa’s Stage 3 reopening will be open on the Civic Holiday.
Click here for the latest updates on the City of Ottawa’s recreation services.
You can also find a full list of the National Capital Commission’s beaches and parkways open for walking and cycling here.
Tourism and entertainment
While some national museums in Ottawa-Gatineau have begun partial reopenings in Stage 3, nearly all will be closed on Aug. 3 in line with regular Monday closures.
One exception is the Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum, which will be open to guests by appointment.
The National Arts Gallery will also be open for free from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a family art adventure.
Many movie theatres across Ontario remain closed amid provincial rules on indoor gatherings, but multiplex chains Cineplex and Landmark announced Thursday they would reopen select locations in Ottawa ahead of the long weekend.
That being said, there are no showings at Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre or its Carling Avenue cinema on Aug. 3.
Among the places to catch a movie on the Civic Holiday are:
- Landmark Cinemas in Orléans
- The Mayfair Theatre
- The ByTowne Cinema
- Cine Starz, in both the St. Laurent Shopping Centre and Place d’Orléans
Transit and parking
Buses and light-rail transit will operate according to a Sunday schedule on the Civic Holiday.
The Confederation Line LRT will run on a reduced weekday schedule with increased service until 1 a.m.
Note that the north-south Trillium Line remains closed for construction work related to Stage 2 LRT.
Trillium Line replacement buses will operate on a Sunday schedule.
Para Transpo will operate according to holiday service.
All City of Ottawa parking regulations and restrictions will apply on the Civic Holiday.
Garbage and recycling
There will be no curbside garbage, green bin or recycling pickup on the Civic Holiday, though garbage pickups in multi-residential complexes will be unaffected.
All curbside pickups will be delayed by one day, as will recycling, green bin and bulky item pickups in multi-residential buildings.
The Trail Road Waste Facility will be open.
Ottawa Public Health (OPH)
For anyone in need of a coronavirus test over the long weekend, note the Brewer Assessment Centre will be open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Saturday to Monday. The Moodie care clinic will be open over the same hours on the Civic Holiday, while the Heron care clinic will be closed.
The supervised injection site and associated program office at 179 Clarence St. will be closed. The site’s mobile van will operate from 5 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.
The OPH Information Centre will be closed for general calls, but the COVID-19 phone line at 613-580-6744 will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the Civic Holiday.
Also closed on Aug. 3:
- The Sexual Health Clinic and satellite clinics
- Dental clinics
- Parenting in Ottawa Drop-ins
- OPH’s baby helpline and phone support for breastfeeding parents will not be available.
Other city services
Ottawa’s city-run child care centres will be closed on the Civic Holiday.
All Ottawa Public Library branches will also be closed.
Residents can still call 311 for urgent matters that require the city’s immediate attention.
Comments